MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP is Back for 2020

MINI unveils the John Cooper Works GP Cooper in Los Angeles in bid to bring spotlight back to the brand.

New Mini Cooper JCW GP hits 100 km/h in about 5.0 seconds
Will only be offered with an automatic
Price set at $45,750 US

The first MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP rocked the world all the way back in 2006 with a second generation following suit in 2013. Tonight in Los Angeles, the third generation was unveiled.

The first Cooper JCW was really cool. It was a hardcore version of a pure driver’s car, a car that had managed to bring a brand enthusiasts loved back to life. MINI’s have always been fun to drive and the 2002 redesign was definitely a blast. The GP version took that performance, sharp handling and agile demeanor to the extreme and we loved it for it.

Then in 2013 a second-generation GP came along. Still pretty cool, enthusiasts and industry onlookers couldn’t help but notice that the price was kind of steep at $39,950 back then. Sure the MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP was still cool, but $40k cool? Debatable.

Tonight, many are having the same debate with the third-generation MINI Cooper JCW GP. Moreover, it comes at a time when the MINI Cooper is no longer that small, lovable urban rocket. The Cooper has grown in size and gained quite a bit of weight in an effort to reach a larger audience. That’s fine, and don’t get us wrong it’s still fun, but the days where a GP model makes sense seem long gone.

Still, the MINI Cooper JCW GP is quite a beast. Running the Nürburgring in under 8 minutes, the Cooper JCW GP is fast, although not quite as fast as a Honda Civic Type R. It looks the part, however, with the signature rear wing, large wheels, agressive front spoiler and wide wheel arches.

It hits 100 km/h in about 5.0 seconds which is fast, but again it’s not as fast as the Civic Type R or other similar models. It only comes with an 8-speed automatic which relays 301 horsepower from a turbo inline-4.

The problem with the MINI Cooper JCW GP is the price. It starts at $45,750 which is very, very steep. You can get a lot of car for that price, and many of the options available to you will outperform the Cooper JCW GP. Still, MINI is planning 3,000 units for next year.